Saturday, June 10, 2017

Going Postal – Ancient Greek Edition

Citizens, do you want to force a change at your local
federal institution? Even just a tiny change? Look closely at the picture
below.

Upper right corner

It shows the typical huge, metal, rotating drum at a post office
for dropping off packages. It’s inside the building, so packages can be dropped
off securely. But there is no internal drop-off slot for envelopes in this post
office. We are directed to go outside and place envelopes in the big, blue
mailbox so common throughout the country. Are they insane?

There was the incident, some years ago, when someone took a
cutting torch and cut through the four legs of the mailbox and hauled the whole
thing off. This would be to wash the written ink from any checks they found in the mail. That
way, the crooks could make the checks out to themselves for large amounts and
wipe out the victims’ checking accounts. What about your personal letters and paperwork?
They would just toss those.

So of course I would put my envelopes in the big metal drum,
because it was inside the building. I and other people did it often enough,
they added the sign in the upper right corner: STOP! Packages ONLY!

I like to think the most recent time I mailed a manuscript
through there was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Now I get to point at
the sign and say, “See that? I did that!”

And here’s an excerpt from that Temple Beyond the Sea
manuscript. Iphigenia (Iphi) just told three new women in the temple that she
is related to the great Helen.

#

Delailen made a
chewing motion, her lips crooked, her eyes full of doubt. “You claim to be related to the great Helen? The one who was taken
to Troy? What are you, some lesser relative?”

“Yes. Have you
heard of her? Is the war still raging?”

Cordi’s eyes
now opened wider, whites showing against her dark skin. “My, everyone’s heard
of the great Helen, most beautiful of all women. And you’re related to her? Whee!”
She reached out and touched Iphi’s robe. “And I’ve met you, and you’re related
to her, and oh, I’ll have to let my family know, and all the fisher folk on the
shore.”

Tassa also came
close. “Sorry, I didn’t know. The caravans have been trading treasure from Troy
for some years now. The siege was broken. Whether that means Troy won, or the
Achaeans won, or whether that was one siege and the war continues, I do not
know.”

“Thank you.” Iphi
wondered if meeting these new people and asking more questions would lead her
to discover what happened to her family, if they were all safe at home. She
remembered her dream about the pillar that must have been Orestes, and hoped
others did not share his fate.

She looked at
Delailen. But her face was closed. If she knew more than these two, she was not
telling.